Top 10 Packable Lunches Kids Love

by Katy Abel

They want to eat: Peanut butter and fluff. Cupcakes with squiggles. Zero celery.
You want them to eat: Turkey on whole wheat. An apple. Pretzels.

After dealing with back-to-school battles over homework and bedtime, many moms would rather surrender than fight over what kids eat  or throw away  in the school cafeteria. The good news: It's easier than ever to "think outside the box" when it comes to the school lunch box. It doesn't have to be a choice between what's "good for you" or "fun for you."

1. All-American FavoriteKids love turkey. Try a half of a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with mayonnaise or mustard and you'll find only crumbs in the lunch bag at the end of the day. Add a small juice box or water bottle, baby carrots, and you've got a lunch that will get gobbled up.

2. Make Your Own Lunch Pre-packaged lunches are loaded with fat and sodium, but you can make your own for less money. Invest in a few sectioned leftover containers (a small, plastic, fish tackle box will also do) to pack the food in. For mini pizzas: Arrange round crackers, shredded cheese, pepperoni slices, and a small amount of tomato sauce packed in doubled plastic snack bags.

3. Oodles of Noodles Instead of sandwiches, send kids off to school with a plastic container filled with Sesame Noodles. It's an Asian-inspired pasta salad that's perfect to eat at room temperature. Make sure your school doesn't have a zero-tolerance policy on peanut butter, due to some children's allergic reactions. Try this recipe:

4. Fruit Kebabs When it comes to pleasing kids, how things look often matters as much as how they taste. A child who won't touch a plain old apple might well eat a fruit kebab with chunks of cantaloupe and grapes alternating with mini marshmallows on a wooden skewer.

5. Mini Dinosaurs Order low-fat deli meats -and cheese sliced extra thick; then use dinosaur or farm animal cookie-cutters to cut the slices into kid-friendly shapes. Pack with crackers or bread. Remember: Less is more. Children like mini-sized waffles and donut holes, so use the same concept in packing lunches.

6. Peanut Butter Power Balls These are packed with protein; just make sure your school doesn't have a zero-tolerance policy on peanut butter, due to some children's allergic reactions. Try this recipe:

Mix all ingredients except the graham cracker crumbs in a large bowl. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in crumbs and refrigerate (or freeze; balls will thaw by lunchtime).

7. Eat by "Color Code" Cookbook author and lifestyle trainer Jyl Steinbeck of Scottsdale, AZ, has trained her own children to eat at least one orange, red, and green food each day. Let children make lunch choices according to color. Ask them to choose carrot sticks or a navel orange, green pepper strips or a Granny Smith apple, etc. Sometimes kids are more receptive to eating fruits and veggies if they helped make the selections!

8. Retro Jell-O Remember the gelatin salad molds of yesteryear? You can adapt this 1950's classic for today's lunch box and sneak in some veggies without your kids even noticing. Just add grated carrot and tiny chopped pieces of celery to Jell-O; mold in small plastic containers.

9. Stuffed Apples Scoop out the core from an apple; stuff with peanut butter, cream cheese, or other spread. Top with raisins or chocolate chips.

10. Post-it Lunch Similar to eating by a "color code," this strategy encourages kids to think in terms of food groups. Together, make a chart with four columns and the headings: Sandwiches, Fruits, Snacks, and Desserts. Have children fill in each column with items of their own choosing. Then tell them that each day, you'll pack one item from each group. Remind them that they will be eating foods they chose themselves!

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